Part 9

=The Price of Victory.=--But the Old Guard, true to their traditions, made a last desperate stand in square against the British cavalry; it was desperate and grand, but ineffectual, and again they turned and fled, and "the finest army, for its numbers, that France had ever embattled in a field was utterly defeated, and the dynasty of that proud spirit for whom Europe was too little was ended." Over the terrible carnage which followed I must draw a veil, for the unrelenting animosity of the Prussians to the French led them to retaliate in a most vindictive manner, and thousands who had bravely fought and survived the day lived only to fall ignominiously under the revengeful sabre or thrust of Prussian lance. When Wellington recrossed the battlefield, where the destiny of Europe had been changed by the defeat of the greatest of the world's generals, he could have had little stomach for supper, for he had to pass over that 2 square miles of Belgian territory where 50,000 dead or wounded men and horses lay--the terrible price of victory.

The following British regiments were represented at Waterloo: 2 squadrons 1st and 2nd Life Guards; 2 squadrons Royal Horse Guards (Blue); 1st Dragoon Guards; 1st Royals,* 2nd Royal North British Dragoons* (Scots Greys); 6th Inniskilling Dragoons*; 12th, 13th, 16th Queen's and 23rd Light Dragoons; 7th, 10th Royal; 15th King's; 18th Hussars; 2nd and 3rd Batts. 1st Foot Guards (Grenadiers); 2nd Batt. 2nd Foot Guards (Coldstreams); 3rd Batt. 3rd Foot Guards (Scots Guards); 3rd Batt. 1st Royal Scots; 1st Batt. 4th; 3rd Batt. 14th; 1st Batt. 23rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers; 1st Batt. 27th Inniskilling;* 1st Batt. 28th (Gloucesters); 2nd Batt. 30th; 1st 32nd; 33rd; 1st Batt. 40th; 1st Batt. 42nd Black Watch*; 2nd Batt. 44th; 51st; 1st Batt. 52nd; 2nd Batt. 69th; 1st Batt. 71st Highland Light Infantry; 2nd Batt. 73rd Perthshires (2nd Batt. Black Watch); 1st Batt. 79th Cameron Highlanders; 1st Batt. 92nd Gordon Highlanders; 1st, 2nd, and Prov. Batts. 95th; 8 Troops Royal Horse Artillery; 6 Brigades Royal Artillery; Corps of Royal Artillery Drivers; Royal Foot Artillery; Royal Engineers; Royal Sappers and Miners; Royal Waggon Train; Field Train Department of the Ordnance; Royal Staff Corps; Commissariat Department; Ordnance Medical Department, and the following units of the King's German Legion: 1st and 2nd Light Dragoons; 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Hussars; 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 8th Line Battalions, and 1st and 2nd Light Battalions: the total present being about 2,308 officers and 42,120 non-commissioned officers and men.

The medals of those regiments marked * are particularly sought after by collectors. The Dragoons lost heavily in their brilliant charge, the Scots Greys having 106 officers and men killed and 97 wounded, and the "Enniskilleners" 86 officers and men killed, their Colonel, Lieutenant-Colonel, 4 subordinate officers and 101 sergeants and rank and file wounded. The 27th went into battle with 698 men, and of these 480 were placed _hors de combat_, while the 28th was reduced to four companies. The 42nd lost at Quatre Bras and Waterloo 51 killed and 247 wounded, the former including their Colonel and a Major who was mortally wounded, and the latter a Lieutenant-Colonel and a Major. The 92nd was reduced to less than 300 before 4 o'clock. The following regiments composing Sir Charles Colville's division, which was located at Halle owing to Wellington's belief that he might be attacked on his right flank, also received the medal, although not actually engaged in the conflict; 2nd Batt. 35th; 1st Batt. 54th; 2nd 59th and 1st Batt. 91st (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders); likewise two Brigades of Artillery and the 6th Hanoverian Brigade.

=The British Waterloo Medal.=--When, on March 10th, 1816, it was decided to bestow upon every soldier, from Commander-in-Chief to drummer boy, the same type and quality of medal as a reward for services at Waterloo, the custom was established to grant a medal to all, irrespective of rank or occupation, who had given war service to his or her country. It was ten months after that auspicious day that there appeared in the _London Gazette_ the notification that "a medal shall be conferred upon every officer, non-commissioned officer, and soldier present on that memorable occasion," but be it noted "the ribbon issued with the medal shall never be worn but with the medal suspended to it."

=First Official War Medal.=--The first general official medal issued at the suggestion of the Duke of Wellington--who, however, strenuously opposed the grant of one for the Peninsular--was of silver, 1⅖ in. in diameter, bearing on the obverse the laureated head of the Prince Regent facing to the left, with the inscription GEORGE P. REGENT on either side of the head, and on the reverse a seated figure of Victory with wings outspread, holding in her right hand a palm branch, and in the left a sprig of olive; on a plain tablet is WATERLOO, and in the exergue JUNE 18. 1815, while above is the name of Wellington in Roman letters. As originally issued it had a large steel ring 1 in. wide, run through a steel clip, for suspension by a dark-crimson blue-edged ribbon 1½ in. wide (sometimes found 2 in. wide), as illustrated facing page 56. The clip, however, was not always secure, and as a result the possessors of the medal frequently had silver suspenders made according to their own taste, or that of the local jobbing jeweller, who did not always do justice to Wyon's classic medal, slight differences in which may be observed upon comparison, as the medals were not all struck from one die, and the die-sinker's art was not then mechanical. The names and regiments of the recipients were indented in large capital letters on the edge of the medal, the tops and bottoms of the letters almost touching the rims of the medal.

=Second General Award.=--This was the first general award of medals for 166 years, when Simon's medal was given to those engaged at Dunbar in 1650. However, the official war medal for all ranks is now an established institution, and, it is said, sometimes given with too free a hand. But the soldier has a substantial record of his services on the field of battle--not even now, to my mind, satisfactorily complete--and but a small recognition of his country's appreciation; while those interested in the traditions of our race, those who recognise that in the grim and terrible business of war the better part of man is frequently called forth, will find the means of collecting an interesting record of great deeds, and incidentally materialising the history of the epoch-making nineteenth century, and these dawning days of the twentieth, when we had hoped that the dark spectre of war might have been replaced by the radiating figure of peace. But the war drums still throb, the battle flags are still unfurled; and it is good, when duty has called, in the nerve-wracking suspense and in the loud clamour of war, that fortitude, loyalty, honour, and the love of fatherland have shone above the horrors, and made us proud of the men who wear on their breasts the badges of the brave.

=Continental Waterloo Medals.=--Several other medals were issued for Waterloo, notably the Hanover, Nassau, Saxe-Gotha, Altenburg, and Brunswick medals, also the Belgian silver star.

=Nassau Medal.=--Fredrich Duke of Nassau was the first to issue a medal for Waterloo--that was on December 23rd, 1815. It is a small silver medal 1⅒ in. in diameter, with a lug stamped with the medal, through which ribbon could be run for suspension. On the obverse is the bust of the Duke, and the inscription FRIEDRICH AUGUST HERZOG ZU NASSAU. Underneath the truncation are the letters I.L. On the reverse, to the left, is a standing figure of Victory, holding in her right hand a palm branch, while with the left she is represented placing a laurel wreath upon the brow of a Roman soldier; in the exergue is DEN 18 JUNI 1815, and round the figures DEN NASSAUISCHEN STREITERN BEY WATERLOO. The medal, issued unnamed, was suspended from a dark-blue ribbon with orange edges.

=Hanover Medal.=--The Hanover medal was struck by command of the Prince Regent of Great Britain. The order was given in December 1817, and was to the effect that surviving soldiers of his German dominions and the relatives of those who had fallen at Waterloo were eligible for the award. The medal is 1⅖ in. in diameter, and bears on the obverse the laureated head of the Prince Regent facing to the right, the truncation draped, and surrounded by the inscription GEORG. PRINZ. REGENT 1815. The reverse bears in the centre WATERLOO JUN. XVIII, flanked by laurel wreaths, with a small trophy consisting of a cuirass and flags above, and the whole encircled by the inscription HANOVERISCHER TAPFERKEIT. The medal was suspended from a steel clip and ring by means of a crimson and blue-edged ribbon, like that used for the British Waterloo.

=Brunswick Medal.=--The Prince Regent (as guardian of the minor Princes of Brunswick) was also responsible for the issue of a medal to the soldiers of Brunswick who were present in the engagements of June 16th, 17th and 18th, 1815. The order for the striking was given on June 11th, 1818, and the medals were struck from captured French cannon. On the obverse is the head of Duke Fredrich Wilhelm of Brunswick, who fell at Quatre Bras, and the inscription in German lettering FRIEDRICH WILHELM HERZOG; on the truncation of the bust is C. Häseler in script. On the reverse is a wreath of oak and laurel, encircling 1815, and the inscription in German lettering arranged round and divided by rosettes, Braunschweig Seinen Kriegern. Quatrebras und Waterloo (Brunswick to her Warriors. Quatre Bras and Waterloo). The medal, 1⁷⁄₂₀ in. in diameter, was suspended from a steel clip and ring by a 1½ in. yellow ribbon, with broad blue stripes equal to one quarter the width near the edge. The officers' medals were gilt, with the names indented on the edge.

=Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg Medal.=--In 1816 Duke Emilius Leopold Augustus decided to have a medal struck for presentation to the members of the Foreign Legion of the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg who had taken part in the campaigns of 1814-15. The medals were of bronze; those awarded to the officers were 1⅗ in. in diameter, gilt all over, and those given to the private soldiers 1¹³⁄₂₀ in. in diameter, parti-gilt, the Altenburg rose and ornamental border on the obverse being gilt, likewise the ducal crown and lettering on the reverse, which bears, in old German characters, IM KAMPFE FUER DAS RECHT (In the struggle for right), and round the edge, where the name of the recipient is usually placed, HERZOGTH GOTHA-VND-ALTENBVRG MDCCCXIV : MDCCCXV. The medal has a ball-shaped loop and ring for suspension from a dark-green ribbon 1 in. wide, with a border of black, through which gold is braided at intervals (see facing page 72).

=Belgian Star.=--A five-pointed star, with ring for suspension, was granted to the Belgian troops who were present at the battle of Waterloo. Like many continental medals of the period, it is very simple, having on the obverse 1813, and on the reverse 1815. It is not very coveted, owing to the uncertain conduct of the Belgian troops.

=Hanoverian Jubilee Medal.=--On the fiftieth anniversary of the battle of Waterloo the inhabitants of Hanover presented a bronze medal to the survivors of the Hanoverian troops. On the obverse is the arms of Hanover, encircled with the inscription STADT HANOVER DEN SIEGERN VON WATERLOO 18 JUNI 1815, and on the reverse, within a laurel wreath, ZUR 50 JÄHRIGEN JUBELFEIER AM 18 JUNI 1865.

=French or St. Helena Medal.=--It was not until August 12th, 1857, that the survivors of that magnificent army of Frenchmen who followed _le petit Caporal_ in his campaigns from 1792 to 1815 received a medal commemorative of their devotion and gallantry. It was due to the Emperor Napoleon III that the old military and naval warriors received, what their great General and Emperor would wish for them, "marks of merit." The St. Helena medal is oval and of bronze, 1⅕ in. across. On the obverse is a beaded circle within laurel leaves, which frame the whole medal (see facing page 64), the laureated head of Napoleon facing to the right with the legend NAPOLEON I EMPEREUR. On the reverse, within a beaded circle, is the inscription A SES COMPAGNONS DE GLOIRE SA DERNIERE PENSEE STE. HELENE 5 MAI 1821 (To his companions in glory his last thought St. Helena 5 May 1821), and around CAMPAGNES DE 1792 A 1815, with a small five-pointed star beneath. As part of the medal, but standing above the oval, is the French Imperial Crown, through the terminal of which a ring runs for suspension from a green ribbon, 1½ in. wide, with narrow stripes of red.

NEPAUL

While the attention of Britain was necessarily riveted upon the Peninsula, both East and West, as we have seen, compelled her to keep the torch of battle burning, and I must therefore mention the campaign in Nepaul, for which the Honourable East India Company awarded a special medal. The order dated Fort William, March 20th, 1816, stated that the Government had decided to present silver medals to every native officer who had served within the hills, and to as many non-commissioned officers and privates as might be recommended for distinguished zeal or gallantry. The campaign was brought about owing to the Goorka tribes having adopted an aggressive policy, and refusing to vacate the districts of Bootwal and Sheoraj belonging to the H.E.I. Co., that had to be retaken by an armed force, and by an attack upon the British outposts at Rourah, which had been left in possession when the rainy season commenced. The operations, which followed the declaration of war made on November 1st, 1814, covered a frontier stretching 600 miles. In the early part of the campaign General Gillespie was killed while leading a body of 100 dismounted men of the 8th Dragoons against the small but well-defended fort of Kalunga. The back of the war was broken when, in March 1815, General Sir David Ochterlony resisted a furious assault of the Gōrkālis for two hours and then, boldly charging, forced them to fly in confusion. For his brilliant services General Ochterlony was made G.C.B., the first officer in the Indian Army to receive the honour. Ummur Singh, Rajah of Nepaul, after the surrender of his officers and men was compelled to submit, but a year elapsed before the treaty was ratified at Fort William. The regiments occupied in the campaign were: H.M.'s 14th (the 14th did not, however, receive the medal, as they had not served in the field), 17th, 24th, 66th, a wing of the 67th, and 87th Royal Irish Fusiliers; a detachment of the 8th Light Dragoons, and the 20th and 25th Native Infantry.

=The H.E.I. Co.'s Nepaul Medal.=--The medal awarded by the Honourable East India Company was silver, 1¹⁹⁄₂₀ in. in diameter, and given to all ranks. On the obverse troops with fixed bayonets and colours flying are represented marching through a hilly country, the heights crowned with forts and stockades; in the foreground to the left is a field gun. On the reverse is a Persian inscription, "This medal is conferred by the Nawab Governor-General Bahadar in testimony of the energy, good service, skill, and intrepidity displayed during the campaign in the hills, in the years of the Hegira 1229 and 1230." It was worn suspended from a yellow silk cord, and, as it was only given to native soldiers for particularly distinguished conduct, is very uncommon.

When the "Army of India" medal was issued in 1851, those native soldiers who had not received the H.E.I. Co.'s medal were granted the new medal, with bar for NEPAUL (see facing page 56). The British regiments entitled to the medal with this bar were the 8th Light Dragoons; 17th, 24th, 26th, 66th, one wing of the 67th, 87th Regiments, and 20th and 25th Native Infantry. On November 5th, 1817, the Peishwa, Bajee Rao, who had again given evidence of his treachery, was defeated at the village of Kirkee by Lieutenant-Colonel Burr of the 7th Bombay Native Infantry, with the 65th Foot and a native force consisting of the 2nd, 6th, 7th, 12th, 13th, and 23rd Bombay Native Infantry; Bombay Artillery, Field and Horse, and Pioneers; the Bombay Fusiliers (now 2nd Batt. Dublin Fusiliers); and Poona Horse. On November 17th Colonel Burr, together with Brigadier-General Lionel Smith commanding H.M.'s 65th British Regiment and the 2nd Grenadier Regiment of Native Infantry, captured the town of Poona. On the 26th of the same month a force under Lieutenant-Colonel Hopetoun Stratford Scott and Brigadier-General Doveton captured the camp of the Rajah of Berar, Apa Sahib, at Seetabuldee (£79 has been paid for a medal with the single bar for this engagement), outside the city of Nagpore, which, after a desperate defence by its garrison of 5,000 men, surrendered on New Year's day, 1818. Although eight companies of the Royal Scots were present at the battle of Seetabuldee, they were not awarded the bar for same when the Army of India medal was distributed. They were also present at the capture of Nagpore (400 medals were issued to officers and men, and 43 to Europeans in the H.E.I. Co.'s service) with the following native regiments: 1st, 2nd, 17th, 21st, 23rd, 26th, 28th, 29th Madras Infantry and 6th Bengal Light Cavalry and 6th Madras Cavalry.

=Maheidpore.=--At Maheidpore, on December 21st, 1817, Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Hislop defeated the Pindarees under the Mahratta Rajah, Mulhar Rao Holkar. The British troops present were two flank companies of the 1st or Royal Scots (12 medals only with this bar were presented to officers and men of this regiment), who were specially mentioned in the Commander-in-Chief's orders, and one squadron of the 22nd Light Dragoons. Only 26 clasps for this battle were issued to survivors of the 22nd. The native troops comprised 3rd, 14th, 27th, 28th, and 31st Madras Infantry; 1st Madras Fusiliers; 3rd and 4th Madras Light Cavalry.

=Corygaum.=--On January 1st, 1818, the village of Corygaum was most gallantly defended against the whole force of the Peishwa, and when the "Army of India" medal was issued the surviving soldiers of the 2nd Bombay Native Infantry and 2nd Poona Horse were given the medal, with bar for the defence. Dr. Payne had in his collection a medal awarded to G. Bainbridge of the 65th Foot, with the bar for POONA AND CORYGAUM, which, according to the medal roll, was inaccurate, but it appeared that the man was actually entitled to this rare distinction.

=Rare Medals.=--Ten medals only were issued with bars for POONA and CORYGAUM. For the latter battle only 8 medals were issued. Only 20 with the single bar for SEETABULDEE AND NAGPORE were issued to Europeans and 194 to natives. For KIRKEE AND POONA AND CORYGAUM 73 medals were issued. 16 medals with the bar for KIRKEE AND POONA were issued to officers and men of the 65th Regiment and 44 officers and men of the same regiment had the single bar for POONA. Medals with the bars for AVA and BHURTPOOR are rarely met with, or those for CHRYSTLER'S FARM and AVA to the 89th.

=Ceylon, 1818.=--In 1819 the Government of Ceylon issued a medal, 1½ in. in diameter, in connection with the Kandian rebellion of 1818. It bears on the obverse a wreath of bay and oak leaves, encircling CEYLON 1818, and on the reverse REWARD OF MERIT, the name of the recipient being engraved in the centre. A blue ribbon was used for suspension. Four men only of the 73rd Perthshire Regiment, two men of the 2nd and 39 of the 1st Ceylon Regiments were awarded the medal.

FIRST BURMESE WAR

In 1824 war was declared against Burmah, and the campaign opened by Brigadier-General Sir Archibald Campbell taking possession of Rangoon on May 12th, and the capture by storm of Cheduba on May 17th, 1824. A series of assaults was made by the British, and feeble attacks by the Burmese, before Maha Bandoola, a veteran of considerable force and ability--having provided himself with gold fetters with which to bind Lord Amherst when he was captured--took command of a force of about 50,000 infantry and horsemen, with 300 pieces of artillery, and began to entrench himself in front of the British position. On December 1st Major (afterwards Sir Robert) Sale--who gallantly defended Jellalabad and was killed at Moodkee, December 1845--making a daring and vigorous attack upon the left of his line with 450 men of the 13th Light Infantry and 18th Native Infantry, compelled the Burmese to fly. On December 5th another effort was made against the left wing, and 240 guns were captured; this success was followed, on December 7th, by a determined assault upon the trenches, which resulted in the rout of Bandoola's army with the loss of 5,000 men. With indomitable pluck the Burmese general rallied his army and entrenched himself again; but when the assault was made, upon the 15th, by the British, the Burmese were forced from their position and put to rout in fifteen minutes. In the meantime Brigadier General Morrison, with a force of about 11,000, had moved forward across the mountains into Ava, and on April 1st Arracan was captured, and the Burmese retreated to Donabu, where on the Irrawady, behind a strong teak stockade a mile long, backed by an old brick rampart upon which 150 guns were mounted, they defied a marine attack, and the British had to retire down the river, leaving their wounded to the fiendish treatment of their enemies. On the next day, however, Sir Archibald Campbell gained possession of Donabu, for Maha Bandoola having been killed the troops lost confidence in their other leaders, and they evacuated the place at night. After a period of inaction at Prome, necessitated by the season, hostilities were resumed in November, and a series of conflicts took place until after the evacuation of Meeaday, when the Burmese again made overtures for peace. On January 19th, 1825, hostilities were resumed, and the British army advanced upon the Burmese capital. In the advance the battle of Melloon was fought, and a new Burmese General took command of an army of 40,000 men. Nee Woon Breen, "King of Hell" or "Prince of Darkness" as he was called, was, however, defeated by the British near Pagahm Mew on February 9th, and fled to Ava, to meet a cruel death by order of his King. Following up this success, the British marched upon the old capital Amarapura, but when within four days' march of the city the King accepted the British terms, and the treaty of peace was signed at Yandaboo on February 24th, 1826. By this treaty Arracan, Mergui, Tavoy, Tenasserim, and Yé were ceded, and became part of the Indian Empire. 3,222 European soldiers and 1,766 sepoys fell in the war.

The following regiments were engaged in this campaign, and those marked * were mentioned in general orders with sentiments of unfeigned admiration: 1st,* 13th,* 38th,* 41st,* 44th, 45th,* 47th, 54th, 87th,* and 89th,* also 14th Madras Native Infantry, Madras Fusiliers (European, now 1st Royal Dublin Fusiliers), and 1st Madras Cavalry, Bengal and Madras Artillery (European).